The Taking
by Ellenedwardforever
Summary: Read it and see. Ohhh! Mysterious! Rated T. After Eclipse. From the author that brought you Foreign Affairs and It Takes Two.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!_

**Bella's POV**

I heaved another box of flowers onto the table. I was helping Alice set up for my wedding. My job was to decorate the huge arch Edward and I would stand under during the ceremony tomorrow. I had it half covered with day lilies. They were a subtle fuchsia, the same color as the bride's maid's dresses.

I was standing on a chair, trying to reach the top to pin a flower on when something grabbed me around the waist. At first I thought it was Edward, but then realized Edward would never try to shove a gag in my mouth.

I started kicking and trying to scream through the thick cloth. The person merely sprinted on, never breaking stride.

I looked up and saw Jacob's agitated face. He had cut his hair again, and his face was older looking, haggard somehow.

I tried yelling at him, "Put me down Jacob! Damn't! Put me down!" but it came out like, "Pff mmm dwfff! Wntt! Pff mmm dwff!"

Where was Edward when I need him? I tried looking behind me to see if anyone noticed me being rudely carried off, but Jacob's massive shoulders blocked my view.

Jacob's long strides carried us up the mountain in no time. At the top there was small circle of trees, and in that circle there was a small hut, a lot like the one Billy lived in La Push.

He shoved through the door and threw me on the couch, not very gently I might add.

After I got the cloth out of my mouth I was yelling at him, "What the hell were you thinking? If you wanted to talk, you could have called! My wedding's tomorrow! Edward's going to go ballistic!"

"Shut up Bella! I'm trying to think!"  
"Think about what? How to woo me into loving you? You're way too late, I can hardly even trust you!"

"What in the hell have I done that's so damn bad?"

"Hmm, let's think! Kissing me without my permission, tricking me into kissing you, ignoring me all those months that Edward was gone, calling all the people I love names, and now, kidnapping me on the eve of my wedding! Would you like me to name some more?"

I paused for him to answer watching him. His was shaking. Small growls were coming from his clenched teeth.

"I brought you here to think about your options, away from the bloodsucker's influence," he said in a slow voice.

"What?"

"I finally figured it out Bells! That blonde leech's power is to influence your emotions! He's been _making_ you love Edward! It's okay, I know it will be hard to break through all that muck he's been clouding your brain with, but I'll help you."

"You think _Jasper _is controlling _my_ emotions? You're more messed up than I thought." I said acidly.

"Bells, you don't mean that. I know that's what they taught you say, but you need to remember who you were before you met him."

"Jacob this is me! I love Edward. I love you too, but not as much as I love Edward! I've made my choice, and it's time for you to move on."

His body started shaking harder. "You're going to need some persuasion," and with that he grabbed the tops of my arms and pulled me toward him. I clawed at him and tried to pull away, but he kept bringing me closer.

His lips, hot and disgustingly wet, smothered mine. I did exactly what Edward told me to do, and kneed him in the balls.

Jacob shoved me away and started shaking again. His eyes were changing. I knew I had to get out of there.

I ran for the door and yanked it open just as Jacob erupted in fur. I heard a roar of fury and the clicking of claws on wood as I ran from the shack and down the mountain side.

Of course I fell. Before I could get back up, Jake's claws came down, ripping open four bloody gashed from ribs to hips. I cried out.

The smell of blood and the blood loss pushed me over the edge of consciousness. Before blacking out I saw a russet wolf run into the surrounding woods.

_AWWWW!! What will happen? You better read on. I hope you enjoyed! Please review!!_

_Today's my birthday, so I was in the mood to write, sorry I haven't written anything good in awhile. _

_I'm kinda being random right now! Night!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!_

**Bella's POV**

I woke up lying on the side of the mountain. I tried to sit up. Pain exploded in my mid section. I looked down, remembering the day before. Ouch.

Instead of moving my abs, I rolled onto my stomach and eased up slowly.

Once I was up and on my feet, I inspected the damage. Four long gashes ran from my right ribs to my left hip. There were pieces of grass and fabric in the cuts. The blood had dried over the grass and fabric, forcing me to rip them out to prevent infection. With each piece I pulled out, I let out a shriek.

The blood started seeping out again, causing a wave of nausea. I gritted my teeth and pulled out more fabric. They were starting to burn and itch like crazy. I looked around frantically trying to find something, anything to ease the pain.

I saw a clear mountain stream not twenty feet from where I stood. I surged unsteadily towards it. When I reached the grassy bank, I sank down on my hands and knees and unbuttoned my shirt carefully.

I took a handful of water and gently washed away the caked on blood, wincing when I hit the shreds of skin lining the cuts. I then dipped the shirt in the water and rinsed the blood from it as best as I could.

I took a couple of handfuls of water to my mouth and drank. The cool water was like an elixir, ambrosia from the gods.

I then used the shirt as a cool compass to staunch the bleeding. Holding the shirt to my wounds, I trudged down the uneven slope, hoping I was going the right way.

I took quite a few tumbles down the side, hitting rocks and trunks of trees, bruising my shoulders and back. I would regain my balance and trudge on.

Jacob must have followed me or something; otherwise Alice would've seen me and have sent out a search party. I called out in a hoarse voice now and again for Edward or Alice. Nobody answered.

At the end of the day, I sat down and cried. It was my wedding day, and I had missed it.

_Oh, think missing your own wedding. Please review!! Thanks for all those other reviews, they were great!!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!_

**Bella's POV  
**

Once again I woke up on the ground. My throat hurt and I was freezing and wet. It appeared to be midnight, and there was a thunderstorm raging above my head.

I checked my cuts and saw that the skin around them had turned a nasty green and they were oozing pus. Great, now I had an infection.

I got up and saw the lights of Forks. Home!

I tried to run, but got very dizzy. I took a slower pace down the mountain. As I jogged, I screamed, "Edward, Alice!" I knew that they could probably hear me wherever they were. Then I tripped and was sent crashing into the rocky bottom.

**Edward's POV**

"Where is she?" I shouted tightening my grip around the mongrel's neck.

"I…Don't… Know!" the stout child yelled in my face. He'd been doing an excellent job of blocking his mind from me these past minutes.

"Quil," I growled using his Christian name, "I know all about pack plural, and I know that you know where Jacob is and that he took Bella. Now, if you value your life at all, you'd better tell me where the hell he is!"

"He's on a mountain somewhere, trailing her. He feels really guilty, but doesn't trust himself around her. He's arguing with himself, he wants to apologize, but doesn't want to hurt her anymore." And with that he jerked free of my suddenly loosened grip and ran, morphing on the way.

"Bella," I whispered between frozen lips. The rain was falling harder now and a few rumbles of thunder were pealing from the black clouds.

I ran to the nearest mountain, keying in all my senses. I listened for the most important sound in the world, the beating of her heart. I could hear nothing.

At the top of the mountain, I turned slowly, scanning the sides for Bella.

Then I heard the most glorious sound in the world, Bella's voice, cracked and hoarse as it was, it was still wonderful. She was shouting my name.

The sound was from the southeast. I look down and saw nothing, then I looked at the base of the next mountain, and a still white form laid there.

"Bella!" I raced toward her, going faster than I ever had.

I stopped right in front of her still form. My eyes took in her bloodstained bra, jeans, and balled up shirt. Her limp hand lay over the ball of fabric that I took to be her shirt. Her injuries were severe, four infected slashes lay across abdomen, bruises all over her back and chest, and then a thin cut on her head that was bleeding all over the rocks. The smell was heavenly, but I ignored it.

"Bella?" I shouted as I kneeled next to her, slapping her face gently. She moaned, but her eyes stayed closed.

I was ripping up my shirt creating a makeshift bandage for her head. I wrapped it tightly then picked her up and sped home.

"Carlisle," I said into my cell-phone, "Get home quick, bring a lot of supplies!" I snapped the phone shut, not waiting for an answer.

_Thanks for all the reviews, sorry about the cliffy, but I might write again tonight! Please Review again!! Thanks!!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!_

**Edward's POV**

I raced through the storm. Every second I glanced down at Bella's ashen face. It got paler each minute, and I wondered how much blood she'd lost.

The front door slammed behind me when I got home. I heard a glass pane pop out and crash to the floor, but I didn't care.

Carlisle was waiting, medical bag in hand. I raced up the stairs to my bedroom, gently laying her in the bed.

Carlisle rummaged through his bag and grabbed a pair of gloves and a syringe filled with what I thought to be a painkiller.

"She's going to be sore after this," he said, scanning a practiced eye over her still form. Then he slipped the needle into her arm and pressed the end down. "And infection," he mumbled.

I then started reading his thoughts on the subject. _Pus coming out at that rate, it'll be a miracle if the infection hasn't reached her heart yet._

"Will she be all right?" I asked anxiously.

"Yes, I'll stitch up her head first, and then set to work on her cuts. Can you find the ankle brace in my bag? She's twisted it, probably on her fall. I think it's sprained," he felt the ankle gently then said, "Yes, sprained. Put the brace on the grab an ice pack and hold it the exposed skin,"

I quickly put the brace on, and then ran downstairs and grabbed the ice compass, then raced upstairs.

Carlisle was already done stitching up her head when I came back and was gently pressing the skin around the cuts up, squeezing out the pus, then wiping it away with a thick cloth that was already stained a greenish yellow.

"What are you doing?" I asked while I fastened the icepack to her brace. It had a special icepack cutout, "Is that necessary?"

"Yes, I can't stitch it up until almost all the pus is out,"

Bella was starting to wake up, rolling her head back and forth, moaning.

"Bella, Bella love, can you hear me? You're home now." I said stroking her hair.

Her nose wrinkled and she moaned again. Her eyelids fluttered open and she smiled, weakly before biting her lip.

"What hurts?"

"My cuts, it feels like someone's squeezing them,"

"Carlisle is, he has to get the pus out before he can stitch them up," I said now stroking her cheek.

She nodded then closed her eyes again.

"Edward, get the other syringe out of my bag, it holds an antibiotic painkilling solution," Carlisle said still getting all the pus out. He'd now used up three cloths.

"This will help you sleep," he said to Bella while I injected her with the clear liquid.

I resumed my stroking of her long hair, watching her face, and Carlisle's meticulous stitching.

I frowned when he started cutting away her jeans; then saw that her cuts extended down her hip.

It took one hundred and twenty stitches for each cut and twenty for the cut on her head.

When he was done, I called Alice in here so she could change Bella into night clothing.

I left the room so Alice could work her magic.

"Edward!" came Alice's chipper voice from behind the door, "You can come in!"

I pushed the door open eagerly, anxious to see her face again.

Alice was now sponge bathing Bella's arms, feet, face. Carlisle had done the rest, he'd cleaned as he went.

She'd been changed into light blue cotton pajamas. The top was a tank, and the bottoms where polka dotted with dark blue. Alice had pulled her bloody, dirty hair back into a pony.

"I'll do that," I said pointing to the basin and cloth.

Alice daintily left the room.

I sank down on the side of the bed and grabbed the cloth. I gently wiped away the grit and dirt on her face. (Alice had already done her arms and feet.)

When I was finished, I lifted her up and pulled back the sheets, before tucking her in and lying down next to her.

_I told you I'd write another chappy! _

_Um...just a question… I only have like six readers, don't worry I love you all, and in the winter I usually have between twenty and fifty readers. Does this mean that my writing's going down the tube, or that in the summer most people don't have time to read my measly stories?_

_Sorry I sound conceited, but I genuinely curious! Please answer and review!!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!_

**Bella's POV**

The first thing I was aware of was that I wasn't on the cold hard ground anymore, and that I was very warm.

The next thing I felt was my head. It felt like someone dropped a load of rocks on it. I opened my eyes a little. Oh! Bright lights and headaches don't mix. I groaned and tried to roll over, but I was greeted by a spasm of pain and a cold body.

"Edward?" I said in a hoarse voice. I tried to sit up, but sat back with a groan again.

"Yes?" the musical voice said, "Don't try to move, you'll disrupt your stitches."

"Oh," I said remembering the past few days, "Ouch. How many stitches?"

"One hundred and twenty stitches for each wounds on your stomach, and twenty for your head."

"What happened to my head?"

"You took a fall down the side of the mountain and bashed it on a rock, you sprained your ankle too," he then grinned wickedly, "It looks like I'll have to carry you around for a while,"

"So, I'm guessing the wedding is off?"

"For a couple months, yes."

"But in a couple of months I'll be nineteen!" I complained.

"Well, we could resort back to the Vegas plan, but then Alice would probably blow a gasket."

"We could do it now! I mean, I would still have Charlie, Renee, and a few others, not the whole guest list,"

Edward interrupted, "Well, everybody's thinking that you've run off because you didn't want to marry me,"

"What! Oh, I'm going to kill Jake,"

"Yes, speaking of that dog, why did he take you?" Edward's voice was its normal tone, but his expression told of his fury.

"He thinks that Jasper made me fall in love with you. I told him that that was the most ridiculous thing I've heard of, but he thought I needed to be persuaded into believing him, so he kissed me."  
"Oh, his number was up once I found you missing, but now…." He shook his head, his eyes glinting gold, "So what made him crack?"

"Well, after he kissed me, I kinda kneed him in the balls," I muttered.

"That still isn't any excuse for what he did to you! Bella, if you'd have spent another day out there, the infection would have reached your heart and you would be dead!"

"Please can we stop talking about this?" my headache was coming back.

"Fine, would you like to get cleaned up and dressed?"

"Yeah, that would be nice,"

"I'll get Alice to help you," he said before striding from the room.

After washing my hair in the sink and another sponge bath later, I was being forced to eat.

"Just take a bite," Edward prompted.

"I'm not hungry,"

"Bells, you haven't eaten for three days, just take a bite."

"No," I said putting my head down on the table, "I feel sick." It was true, the pain medication Carlisle gave me made my stomach upset.

"Bella," he started.

"Do you want me to be sick?" I snapped.

"Of course not. But I don't want you to keel over because of food deprivation, either!" he was mad now.

"I'll drink water for now, but food will make me sick," I tried to be calm but the words came out sharp.

"Fine," he grumbled, "Drink,"

Just then the door banged open and Jasper and Emmett came in dragging a snarling Jacob.

_Hee, hee, hee! Thanks for the reviews! See ya later!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!_

**Bella's POV**

"What is he doing here?" Edward hissed.

"We found him sneaking around in the woods," Emmett said whacking Jake in the head when he tried to jerk himself free.

"Bells, I'm so sorry!" Jake said, momentarily stopping his struggles to get free.

I just ignored him, laying my head back on the table, only listening now.

"Why in hell would you come back here? Are you asking to be killed? Really, I'd be happy to tear you limb from limb," Edward said in his intimidating mad voice.

"I wanted to see if she was alright," Jake grumbled.

"So after wandering after her for two days, watching her practically bleed to death, you wanted to see if she was alright?!" Edward roared.

Jake didn't answer, so Edward went on, "Well, dog, you're in luck, I'm going to let Bella decide what to do with you."

I looked up. This was new. "I think we should take him to court on the terms of kidnapping and attempted murder," I whispered, "I'm sick of people getting killed right and left. He'll be thrown in jail, and we'll never have to worry about him again."

"Bella, think about it, he's super strong. He could easily knock out the guard or rip the bars off the cell. He would be out before we even left the courtroom." Edward said shaking his head.

"No he wouldn't. He must promise he'll live out his sentence, and never set foot in the same town as me again. Otherwise I will let you kill him. Also, I think his conscience will keep him there, seeing as I won't forgive him until he pleads guilty and goes to jail," I said, standing up on my good leg and taking a shaking step toward him glaring.

"And we'll know if you get out, so tell that to your pack so they don't try to break you out either. We have friends in high places. I'm sure Aro would love to send out reinforcements." Edward said glaring him down.

"Yes, I'll do it. Thank you so much Bella!" then he launched himself at me, surrounding me in a mammoth hug. He squeezed and I could feel my stitches pulling at the edges of my skin. Something stuck me in the back, like a needle or something. I moaned and pushed him away.

Edward was quicker, yanking Jacob off of me. I fell backwards; my ankle wouldn't hold me up anymore. I wrapped my arms around my burning midsection and groaned.

Edward helped me get back up then yelled at Jake, whom Emmett had in a headlock, "You idiot! Did you forget about what you did to her, or were you trying to hurt her more!"

I closed my eyes and leaned into Edward wishing I could go to sleep to get rid of this pain. I guess I did, because the next thing I knew I was floating.

**Edward's POV**

Bella sagged against me. I looked down and saw that she was knocked out cold. What the hell? "What did you do to her?" I yelled. Then I read his thoughts_. He'd injected her with poison, hoping to kill her. He'd meant what he'd said before, about rather having her dead than with me._

"Bella?" I said shaking her. I didn't like the chalky color she was turning. I swung her up into my arms and ran her up to our room.

I dialed Carlisle as I went, "Bella's been poisoned! Bring the antidote! Pleas hurry!"

I laid her on the bed. I tried about fifty different ways of waking her. Nothing worked. I listened to her heart starting to slow…..

_Sorry! I know I'm evil!! Hee, hee, hee, I'm like Charles Dickenson! I always leave a cliffhanger!! Please review!! Thanks!!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!_

**Edward's POV**

"Bella?" I whispered, "Bella, can you hear me?"

Her face, ashen, was completely devoid of color. Where was Carlisle? I listened, trying to catch the soft beating of her heart. I couldn't hear anything. "Bella?" I asked, my voice slightly hysterical, "Bella! Please hang on!" I took her cold hand in mine, and kissed her fingers.

Then the door banged open, and Carlisle rushed in. He took a hypodermic out of his bag and slipped it into Bella's arm.

I waited anxiously as Carlisle started CPR, trying to restart her heart.

Nothing, nada, zilch. I couldn't hear anything. I was dry sobbing now, holding Bella's hand tight, relishing in the scent.

Then I heard it, a faint fluttering sound. A beat of a heart. I heard her intake of breathe; saw her eyes starting to flutter.

"Edward?" I heard her whisper.

"Bella, I'm here," I said stroking her hair.

She smiled slightly then drifted off to sleep.

I stayed with her the entire night, watching her, making sure she was okay. I traced the full shape of her lips, felt the slinky softness of her hair, and listened to the steady beat of her heart.

When she woke up in the morning she groaned and pressed her hands to her eyes.

"Carlisle said you'd have on hell of headache," I said mildly, grinning as she glared, or at least tried to, at me.

"He was right," she grumbled rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Do you want some aspirin or something?" I asked.

"Yeah, that and a big glass of water,"

I ran down to the medicine cabinet and grabbed a couple of ibuprofens, then jogged into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

She was sitting up when I got up there and smiled when she saw me.

I handed Bella her pills and water, then watched as she downed the glass and swallowed the pills at the same time.

"So, what happened to Jake," she croaked after drinking her fill.

I looked at the floor, thinking about how to delicately phrase it, "He's dead,"

"What?"

"Jasper and Emmett killed him while you and I were upstairs," I muttered still looking at the floorboards.

"Oh, why did they do that?"

I glanced up at her sharply, "He poisoned you,"

Her eyes widened, "He did what?!"  
"Yeah, that's why you were unconscious for about, thirty-six hours."

"Wow, never saw that one coming." She muttered, shaking her head.

_Yea!! I'm back!! SORRY!!_

_Okay, so here's the story. MY dad got a new fax machine, so they hooked it up, and unhooked out internet connection. We had no clue how to get the internet back, so we had to wait until they came today._

_I was sooooo mad!! _

_Please review. Thanks!!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!_

**Bella's POV  
**I was stunned. Jacob dead. For some odd reason, I didn't feel sad. I felt a little bad, but not at all sad. Weird.

Edward had left the room to allow me to shower and get dressed. I was sort of in a daze while I taped the plastic over my stitches and stepped into the hot spray.

I was caught up in my thoughts. Why would Jake want to kill me? I could forgive the scratches, because that was an accident. But poison, that was harsh.

I limped down the stairs awkwardly. Those ibuprofens didn't help the headache much.

I slumped down at the table and glanced around. "Where is everybody?" I asked Alice, who looked a little mad.

"They went out to get some stuff." She said before leaving the room.

Jeez, who spit in her bean curd? I gimped over to the fridge and grabbed my self an iced tea. I sipped it while thinking about what stuff they were getting.

Then the door banged open and I was caught up in a whirlwind of activity. Alice and Rosalie took me upstairs and did my hair. I tried asking them several times what the heck they were doing, but they ignored me.

When they brought out the dress, I almost keeled over. It was my wedding dress. I was getting married today? Wow.

It was surreal. The meadow looked amazing. The tuxes, freshly pressed, made the guys look hotter than normal. The flowers, also fresh, that they had picked up this morning were hanging from every surface imaginable.

I was carried down the aisle by Edward; I couldn't walk well yet, and stood in front of Carlisle, who looked very dignified standing there in black and white minister robes.

"I do," I said happily.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride."

Edward gave me the most passionate kiss in the history of passionate kisses ever.

It was a simple service with only the Cullen family and I present, but it was still wonderful. We went back to the Cullen residence and Edward and I got to cut the cake. I was the only one eating the cake, but that didn't matter. This was the perfect ending to a hectic human life.

**The End**

_Thank you for being wonderful readers and reviewers!! I will miss you, but will be writing soon!!_


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